Swedish operator Concordia Maritime has launched a technical design study with the aim of investigating the feasibility of converting and adapting some of its existing tankers for container transportation.
According to initial assessments by the company, the tankers' two engines, with full redundancy, and other dimensions make it possible for them to be converted into container vessels with a capacity of approximately 2,100 TEUs each.
Concordia's partners on the project include Stena Teknik and a German consulting company that specialises in ship design. The assignment also includes preparation for "basic design" class approval.
The technical design study is scheduled to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2022. If the results are positive, the study will be followed by discussions with shipyards and possible charterers to explore potential interest.
Concordia said a full tanker-to-containership conversion will take approximately three to five months.